The students of class 1C at The Indian School, skyped their peers studying at the Chilakara Rashidia Girls Dhakil Madrasah, Dhaka, in Bangladesh on 30 November 2021. Mr Nazmul Haque Maulana in Bangladesh and Ms Bhanu Batra class teacher facilitated the virtual interaction between the 4-6 year-olds of both schools at 11 a.m IST.The youngsters eagerly waited for the session to commence. Their eagerness and enthusiasm to make new friends and learn about different cultures knew no bounds. The exuberant Indianites were more than happy to acquaint their online friends with the Indian national symbols, cuisines, dances and festivals.
The virtual session began with Agastya Singh warmly welcoming the Bangladeshi students and Mr Nazmul Haque Maulana. He proudly held up the Indian national flag and explained the significance of each colour on it.
Humisha Sabharwal shared that the tiger is India's national animal, symbolising power. Prisha Walia presented the national flower, the lotus and said that it embodied purity. Asees Singh Gandhi shared that the national tree, the Banyan is symbolic of immortality. Mukund Singhal elaborated on the national bird, the peacock and its symbolic elegance. Lastly, Reyansh Chadha described India's national fruit, the mango and that it embodies the tropical climate of India.
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The impressive presentations of the Indianites drew much appreciation and applause. Next, it was the turn of the students from Bangladesh to showcase their national symbols-flag, fruit(Jackfruit), animal ( Bengal tiger), bird (Robin), flower ( Pink water lily) and tree (banyan fig/mango).
This virtual narrative was fascinating, and the Indianites were delighted to catch glimpses of and learn things about their neighbouring country. Their excitement doubled when they realised that the Bengal tiger was the national animal of Bangladesh, too!
The educator from Bangladesh, Mr Nazmul Haque Maulana, was pleasantly surprised on hearing the Indian students converse in Bangla. In the end, Naisha Moitra of class 1C sang the Indian national anthem and the Bangladeshi students theirs-Amar Shonar Bangla.
The students on both sides shared information about their respective countries. This virtual learning experience helped extend the educational experience. It enabled students to access resources and interact in a way they could not in the physical classroom.
Sessions like these help children widen their horizons. They learn about different countries, receive international experience and global exposure.